[Originally posted by Emma]<P><B>One giant leap for America</B><BR>The New York City Ballet has triumphed this season, with six world premieres announced for spring. Nadine Meisner applauds its innovative director, who stepped so gracefully in Balanchine's shoes <BR>The Independent - United Kingdom; Mar 25, 2002<BR>BY NADINE MEISNER<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Long perceived as the heir apparent, Peter Martins has been New York City Ballet's director (or "Ballet Master in Chief") ever since George Balanchine died in 1983. It is a uniquely magnificent inheritance. Except what, exactly, do you do with a company that was the embodiment of 20th- century ballet's greatest imagination? Do you turn it into a dance museum, each exhibit becoming more ossified and exaggerated with time? Of course not. Even during Balanchine's own time, the company's style shifted and the ballets themselves were modified.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><A HREF="http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020325000996&query=dance" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A>

In the NY Times:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Ms. Bouder is all of 18. And while she has proved to be a ballet dancer of extraordinary promise, teenage habits don't evaporate with the nearing of adulthood. A corps member at the New York City Ballet, which begins its spring season at the New York State Theater on Tuesday, Ms. Bouder can jump like a man (a compliment) and whip off fouetté turns that are as centered as a pin prick, but her exceptional technique is only one of her charms. Ms. Bouder can act.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/28/arts/dance/28KOUR.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Click for More</B></A>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>CREATIVE SPRING<P>Clive Barnes, NY Post<P>New York City Ballet opens its nine-week spring season Tuesday at the New York State Theater. And it brings with it a veritable gush of the new.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.nypost.com/seven/04262002/weekendpicks/41956.htm target=_blank>More</a>

You could dismiss it as idle speculation, but as Balanchine was a creative artist of the first order I'd put my money on his being pleased with the concept of the NYCB Diamond project, whih has fostered so much new work from some of the best ballet choreographers around these days.<P>I think few would claim that the current generation can match the achievements of the choreographers working in the 1960s, say. Nevertheless unless the creative torch is kept lit, there is little chance of new giants emerging.

Stuart, I agree with you on the necessity of creativity in NYCB. But I guess that Balanchine wouldn't be pleased if he could see the decline of his ballets as danced by NYCB today.<p>[This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited April 28, 2002).]

I saw NYCB in two performances on a brief trip to NY last summer. I saw 4 of Balanchine's ballets, which were given routine performances without much inspiration. I think that the Kirov Ballet dances its small repertory of Balanchine's ballets better these days, with more care and better coaching. <P>Also NYCB sorely lacks ballerinas these days to illuminate Balanchine's masterpieces. In a recent review in the NY Observer, Robert Gottlieb commented on the paucity of ballerinas at NYCB, and doubted if NYCB can field as many young ballerinas to dance "Jewels", as the Kirov can.<P>Is the NYCB organising any 'festival' to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Balanchine's death in 2003? I heard that something is planned for 2004, the centenary of Balanchine's birth. I think respect for the past is as important as creativity.<P><p>[This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited April 29, 2002).]

Let me put in my two cents here. Have any of you seen Pacific Northwest Ballet do Balanchine? Oh my. Remember, PNB co-AD Francia Russell was one the first disciples of Mr B to set his works on other companies.<P>Interestingly, Christopher Stowell, Russell's son with husband/co-AD Kent Stowell, is among the first of the hand-me-down generation given the task of setting Balanchine's works, as he embarks on a career as a choreologist with Diablo Ballet.<P>However, back to the subject matter of this thread, I think it is exciting to see new works being created on these dancers to spur them and to excite them. No matter what, it is still an amazingly talented company that is fed from what is still the foremost ballet school in the US. Even if the Balanchine repertoire falls into disrepair at NYCB, we can still be assured of something great from this company.

It seems this is the year for retiring ballerinas <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Be with us as the Company salutes and says good-bye to Principal Dancer Helene Alexopolous when she dances her final performance on Saturday, May 18 at 8pm<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>The above is from a NYCB e-newsletter.<p>[This message has been edited by Misa_danseuse (edited April 30, 2002).]

Kevin,<BR> Your observations (April 28 note) matches my own, not that it proves that either of us is correct. But thank you for your opinion.<BR>Last summer I saw 3 days of NYCB at Saratoga Springs after an absence of 4 years.<P> I got acquainted with a husband/wife who were ushers at the theater and we would discuss the previous night’s performance. My impression was that the company seemed to be underrehearsed in Symphony in C and that none of the principals had the expression that one expected of the soloist when Balanchine conducted class.<BR> <BR> The wife’s comment was that memory was tricky and could I rely on it to make such a comparison? I agreed with her that a definitive judgement could not be made, especially on a basis of a few performances.<P> The following day I spend a day in the Dance Museum and watched extensive videos on performances from the 70's and 80’s. Even within the limitation of the medium the exceptional interpretations were visible and seemed to confirm the impression of absence in the present performances. We discussed this the next day but could not come to an agreement. My dominant impression was that this was due to Martin’s deemphasis of the ballerina and the concentration on the role of the danseur especially in the contemporary works.<P> Looking forward to the July season.<BR>

D'ici, I am very interested to read your opinion of the company. Do you think that Peter Martins really cares about the preservation of the Balanchine legacy? I notice that the percentage of Balanchine's ballets in the repertory of NYCB's recent seasons has been declining markedly.<p>[This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited May 01, 2002).]

Kevin,<BR> I don’t think that even Martin knows the answer to your question.<P> However SAB/NYCB is a single entity as is Vaganova/Kirov. The company could not exist without the school and both companies have a unique legacy of ballets and performance highlights that are perhaps impossible to recreate. However both have a history of producing dancers unequaled by any other company, able to attract a large enough pool of talent to have the exceptional artist emerge every decade or two. Of course St. Petersburg’s history is unmatched.<P> Balanchine inspired almost a pathological devotion and commitment that Martin can not rely on. Part of this phenomena was the realization that he would create on the principal dancer thereby giving a sort of immortality for the ballerina. One of the disappointments for me is Martin’s choreography and I suspect that it is for the dancers. Martin was a great danseur, his partnering in Chaconne is a historic apex and I suspect that he is a good teacher, but as a director of NYCB he has not proved himself. At best a caretaker.<P> My own inclination is that he should assume the position of the head of the school and relinquish the NYCB directorship to someone like Ashley who has a unique understanding of the ballets, as most were created on a ballerina. And a woman would be a very welcome experiment as no single person can be a manager and choreographer as Balanchine was.<P> A few ballerinas are emerging and Wheeldon is a very interesting neoclassicist. So let’s see what happens<BR>

D'ici, I agree entirely with your proposition that the NYCB director should be someone who has a better understanding of Balanchine's masterpieces. Arlene Croce, as well as Tobi Tobias of New York Magazine, have suggested in the past that Suzanne Farrell is the best person to run NYCB.<p>[This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited May 01, 2002).]

D'ici, don't you think "I don’t think that even Martin knows the answer to your question." is a little harsh though? I don't know Martins personally so I can't tell you what his position is, but I find it a little hard to believe that he would have no opinion.

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